Riot Fest 2016 Roundup

Riot Fest 2016 was truly a fest to remember. With reunited bands like The Misfits and acts like Rob Zombie, Sleater-Kinney, Deftones, Brand New, Social Distortion, WEEN, Morrissey and many others, it’s hard to think about having to prioritize who to see. This year, we’ve decided to highlight our favorite act at Riot Fest and why we love them oh so much. Tell us who your favorite act was and why so you can be featured in our Riot Fest Roundup.

It was a somber feeling walking towards the Roots Stage at Riot Fest. It was the wake of Motion City Soundtrack. Almost two decades of making beautiful music together, the dudes decided it was time to move on from the electro pop punk we’ve all grown to know and love so much. Being my third stop on the So Long, Farewell Tour, I was pretty emotional. Singer Justin Pierre was too. Playing the hits of course (it is Riot Fest), the crowd sang along, cried along and danced along to the familiar sounds. Their set list included “Capital H,” “Make Out Kids,” “L.G. F.U.A.D.,” “Everything Is Alright” and their outro was “The Future Freaks Me Out.” Singing along to “Make Out Kids” the lyrics “let’s hope we’ll never have to say goodbye, say goodbye” stood out as this was the collection of fans, of people, who would be witnessing such a big crowd honoring MCS as they send off their twenty year career. Their chemistry was soft, not forced but not high energy. The group seemed to be soaking up all of the madness they’ve had the pleasure of experiencing this year. It was bittersweet, it was chill, it was heartwarming, it was everything I ever wanted as a last performance from them.

Jennifer Boylen: Sleater Kinney – Riot Fest Day 3 – Rock Stage

After their resurgence in 2014 from an almost decade long hiatus, Sleater Kinney doesn’t seemed to have missed a beat and this year’s Riot Fest is no exception. On day three of the festival, the all female indie-rock group took the stage just after the sun had gone down. Not only did they play through a set of crowd favorites, but the atmosphere made it a performance to remember– from their light show, their chemistry, the crowds excitement, all the way down to the way their layered back drop blew in the wind. The flawless musicianship of this trio was ever present with the vocals and guitar from Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker and the undeniable power of drummer Janet Weiss. Tucker also gave a special nod to the festivals zero-tolerance harassment policy which only made me enjoy their set even more.